Toy gun



' "July 8, 1 941. sQW. COKER v.

TOY GUN Filed May 11, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a maze] M Coker.

July 8, 1941. I s. w. COKER TOY GUN Filed May 11. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 51W amaal H Uaker.

Patented July 8, 1941 snares TOY GUN Samuel W. (Joker, Colorado, Tex., assignor of onehalf to Robert F. Singleton, Dallas, Tex.

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved toy gun and, more particularly, to a gun for shooting rubber bands.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a gun of this type which will be operable for shooting, one at a time, a plurality of rubber bands, so that the need for reloading the gun after each shot will be dispensed with.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy gun which will be entirely harmless in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toy gun wherein the rubber bands will be successively moved to discharge position automatically, after each band is loosed from said gun, 50 long as any of said bands remain.

As a further object, the invention seeks to provide a device of this character which Will be simple in construction and capable of manufacture at a reasonable figure.

Other objects of the invention, not mentioned hereinbefore, will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings forming a part of my application:

Figure l is a side elevation of my improved toy gun, a portion of the trigger mechanism being shown in dotted lines.

Figure la is a perspective view of a section of the breech.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional View showing the magazine trip lever employed in operative position with a rubber band thereon.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view showing the position of the magazine trip lever after loosing a band therefrom.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the magazine trip lever, showing one rubber band installed thereon, the lever being disposed in a position for discharge.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view similar to Figure 5, but showing the magazine trip lever with two rubber bands installed thereon.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the magazine trip lever with three rubher hands thereon.

Referring now moreparticularly to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout the various views, the numeral I indicates the barrel 7 of my improved toy gun and 2 the stock thereof. The stock and barrel are connected by a breech shown generally at 3. It should be understood that the gun may be of any desired design, as I do not wish to limit myself in this respect. The

stock 2 will, of course, be of wood and the barrel I may also be of this material or of metal. The breech 3 is preferably formed of sheet metal bent to the desired shape.

The barrel l is provided with an arcuate free end portion 4, the purpose of which will be set forth hereinafter. As best seen in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the breech 3 is of substantially -U-shape and defines a hollow breech body portion 5. The breech 3 has a bottom wall 6 and side walls 1 and 8. The breech is open at its top throughout its entire length. At its rear end portion, the breech 3 is provided with ears 9 and I0 which are bent about the forward end portion of the stock 2 for the purpose of holding the stock and breech rigid. The barrel l is, of course, suitably secured, at its inner end, to the forward portion of the breech 3.

Mounted in the breech 3 and extending between the walls 1 and 8, near their corresponding midportions, is a pivot pin H on which is mounted a magazine trip lever I2. The magazine trip lever isbest seen in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. The trip lever 12 has the pivot pin ll extending through its midportion and is tapered in thickness toward its opposite ends. The trip lever has flat alternate end faces l3 and, correspondingly, alternate opposite rounded faces M. As will be seen, the trip lever is comprised by a straight shank, and said shank has the pivot pin extending through its mid portion.

Mounted in the breech body 5 beneath and forwardly of the magazine trip lever I2 is a trigger bar, shown generally at IS. A pin 56, which has-its opposite ends secured in the walls I and 8,pivotally mounts the trigger bar operatively in the breech body portion. The trigger bar I5 is provided, medially of its length, with a stop shoulder H and, at its inner end, with a detent l8 engageahle with the flattened portions I3 of the lever 52. The detent i8 is provided with an inclined wall is extending from the detent to the rear end of the trigger bar. The purpose for the inclined wall E9 will he explained hereinafter. At its forward end portion, the trigger bar is curved downwardly, as shown at 25, to fit loosely about the stop pin 2i which extends between the walls 7 and 3 of the portion. 5 and has its ends anchored in said walls. A coil spring 22 is connected between the bottom wall 6 of the portion 5 and the trigger bar it at the forward end of the curved portion 2!? thereof. The spring 22 normally urges the inner end of the trigger bar upwardly for engagement by the magazine trip lever. The trigger bar is formed, beneath the detent I8, with an opening 23 in which is swingingly mounted one end of an operating link 24. The other end of the operating link is swingingly mounted in a lug 25 which forms a part of a trigger 26. The trigger 26 is pivoted in the lower end portion of the breech body portion by a pin 2! and said trigger has a finger engaging portion 28 which extends through a suitable slot 29 in the bottom wall 6. It will now be understood that pulling of the trigger 26 will rock said trigger on the pin 21 and, through the operating link 24, communicate downward rocking movement to the trigger bar l5 against the tension of the coil spring 22, when the curved portion 20 will, as best seen in Figure 4, be raised from the stop pin 2|. Fitting about the trigger 26 is a trigger guard 30.

In order to provide reinforcement for the breech body portion 5, at the side walls I and 8 thereof, I employ straps 3| and 32 which extend longitudinally of the breech adjacent the outer faces of said walls. The straps also provide bearing surfaces for the pins l l I 6 and 2 I. It should be understood that if the walls I and 8 are of suflicient thickness to withstand the usual rough usage accorded a toy of this type, the need for the straps will be dispensed with.

In operation, rubber bands of the type shown at 33, are employed. These rubber bands may be cut from automobile inner tubes or the like and may be of any desired width and thickness. Preparatory to loading the gun, the magazine trip lever is first'shifted to the position shown in Figure l of the drawings. That is to say, with the lowermost end disposed with the fiattened portion l3 thereof in engagement with the detent I8. As the spring 22 normally holds the detent in upward operative position, the detent will effectively retain the magazine trip lever against forward swinging movement. As will be observed, the magazine trip lever is mounted angularly with respect to the vertical. That is to say, the upper portion of said trip lever will be tilted rearwardly so that rubber bands will tend to be urged toward the pin I I. One of the rubber bands is then stretched between the arcuate end 4 of the barrel and the upwardly disposed portion of the trip lever l2. The tension of the rubher band 3i will, of course, urge the upper end of the lever forwardly and thus urge the lower end thereof into tight engagement with the detent Is; In Figure 5 of the drawings, there is shown the position of the first rubber band as it would appear when mounted in place for discharge. The upper portion of the trip lever I2 is swung downwardly. That is to say, the trip lever is swung end for end on the pivot pin H. The first rubber band will be wound partially about the pin H, as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. The end of the trip lever designated A, which was formerly in uppermost position, will be disposed with the face l3 thereof behind the detent IS. The magazine trip lever is now in position for the mounting of another rubber band which will be designated B. The trip lever is again rotated end for end, when the first rubber band, designated A, will be completely wound about the pivot pin, as shown in Figure 7. The band B will be wound substantially half way around the pin and the portion A of the trip lever will again be disposed uppermost. Another rubber band C is'then stretched between the arcuate end 4 of the barrel l and the portion A of the trip lever. The rotating operation of the trip lever is again effected in the manner heretofore described. The operation may be repeated until as many rubber bands as are desired are placed on the trip lever, it being understood, of course, that when the last band is placed in position, the magazine trip lever need not be further rotated.

When it is desired to shoot the gun the trigger 26 is pulled. Pulling of the trigger will, as heretofore described, rock the trigger bar i5 downwardly for freeing the flattened portion l3 thereof from behind the detent 18. The tension of the rubber bands will snap the trip lever forwardly for loosing the outermost rubber band, which will, of course, be projected in the direction of a target. After the trigger is pulled and the rubber band is discharged, the trip lever will assume the position shown in Figure 4. That is to say, the uppermost portion of the trip lever will engage the shoulder l1, which'is drawn into the arc of swinging movement of said trip lever by movement of the trigger. The shoulder ll serves the function of preventing the trip lever from spinning and thus feeing all the rubber bands at one time. As soon as the pressure is released from the portion 23 of the trigger 26, the spring 22 will return the bar Hi to the position shown in Figure 3, when the shoulder I! will release the end of the trip lever and permit it to engage the detent iii. The gun will then be ready for another discharge.

Inasmuch as the forward end of the bar [5 is curved, as shown at 20, a great deal of shock which might be received by the pin 15, when the lever strikes the shoulder !1, will be relieved. Attention is further directed to the fact that any desired number ofrubber bands may be retained on the magazine trip lever and may be fired one at a time. Of course, should it be desired to do so, a plurality of rubber bands may be stretched about the magazine trip lever so as to be fired simultaneously. This would be done by merely placing them about the magazine trip lever without effecting end for end rotation of the trip lever at the mounting of each band. As best seen in Figures 1. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the side walls I and 3 extend above a rubber band extending longitud nally therebetween so that said well will accordingly define a guide for the rubber band after loosing thereof.

It is thought that further description of the invention will be unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a gun, a breech having a body portion, a pivot pin in the breech, a magazine trip lever mounted on the pin, a trigger bar having a detent and a shoulder, a trigger, and a link connecting the trigger bar and trigger, said magazine trip lever being movable end for end for positioning its end portions to successively receive the end portions of rubber bands stretched between said magazine trip lever and the forward end of the gun, said trigger being movable for shifting the link and trigger bar and releasing the trip lever whereby said lever will swing toward the shoulder for loosing one of the bands from the trip lever.

2. In a gun as recited in claim 1, wherein the shoulder is engageable with a portion of the magazine trip lever after a band discharging operation for limiting said trip lever against further rotation until the trigger has been released.

3. In a gun, a breech having a body, a pivot pin mounted in the body, a magazine trip lever mounted in the body on the pivot pin for end for end shifting movement, a trigger bar having a forward end, means pivotally mounting the trigger bar medially thereof, a stop engageable with the forward end of the trigger bar for limiting downward swinging movement thereof, a detent carried at the opposite end of the trigger bar, a spring connected between the forward portion of the trigger bar and the body and urging the detent into position for engagement by an end portion of the magazine trip lever, a'shoulder carried by the trigger bar medially thereof and normally disposed out of the path of the magazine trip lever, a trigger carried by the body and being positioned for manual engagement, and means swingingly connecting the trigger with the trigger bar, said magazine trip lever having end portions successively receiving the ends of resilient bands, said bands being wrapped about the pivot pin as the trip lever is moved end for end, said detent normally holding the magazine trip lever in cocked position with one of the bands positioned for discharge and said trigger bar being shiftable upon movement of the trigger for releasing the trip lever from the detent whereby the opposite end of the trip lever will be drawn forwardly by the bands for discharging the outermost of said bands, downward movement of the trigger positioning the shoulder in the path of the end of the magazine trip lever for stopping said lever in its swinging movement, said spring shifting the trigger bar for freeing the lever from the shoulder so that said lever may swing to engage the detent in cocked position.

SAMUEL W. COKER. 

